Guilty verdict in biotech exec's murder

Kent Thomas Keigwin, right, was sentenced Friday to life in prison without the possibility of parole for killing a retired biotech executive in his La Jolla apartment and stealing $8.9 million from the victim. He is shown here at his preliminary hearing.
— Peggy Peattie

Kent Thomas Keigwin, right, was sentenced Friday to life in prison without the possibility of parole for killing a retired biotech executive in his La Jolla apartment and stealing $8.9 million from the victim. He is shown here at his preliminary hearing.
— Peggy Peattie

San Diego  A man accused of killing a retired biotech executive in his La Jolla apartment last year, then taking $8.9 million from the victim’s accounts, was convicted Friday of first-degree murder and a host of other felony charges.

Kent Thomas Keigwin, 61, was tried in San Diego Superior Court in connection with the death of John G. Watson, whose body was found July 8, 2010, after colleagues reported that he had missed an appointment and went to check on him.

The two men had been acquaintances.

A jury determined that Keigwin, a financial adviser, had committed the killing during a robbery and for financial gain — special allegations that make him eligible for a sentence of life in prison without parole.

Judge Frederic Link scheduled a sentencing hearing for Jan. 20.

Deputy District Attorney Sharla Evert argued in trial that Keigwin had been tracking Watson the day he died, and the two men had a violent struggle inside the victim’s Camino del Oro apartment. The prosecutor argued that Keigwin fired a stun gun at Watson, hitting him in his back.

He then strangled the victim, killing him, and took his wallet.

Keigwin then used Watson’s personal information to impersonate him and transfer millions from the victim’s bank to another account.

“This was a killing to get John’s money,” Evert told the jury.

Keigwin had scratches on his face at the time of his arrest. DNA from under the victim’s fingernails matched the defendant.

Deputy Public Defender Stacy Gulley told the jury there was evidence in this case that Keigwin had committed a theft, but not premeditated murder. The attorney argued that Keigwin had no reason to murder someone he considered a friend.

“No one knows what happened in that apartment,” Gully said.

But the jury apparently did not agree. In addition to murder, the panel found Keigwin guilty of identity theft, attempted grand theft of personal property, burglary and forgery.